Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Homemade for the Holidays

Hi everyone! Yup, still alive and kicking. I managed to get all 40 of my handmade xmas cards done plus 20 for my mom. I do have a pic of my mom's which I will post but sadly I was in such a rush to get mine mailed I totally forgot to take a pic. I think I may still have one that is unassembled which I hopefully will get put together because since I have been making cards I do like to keep a chronicle of my cards through the years.

Since I don't have a card I thought I'd share some other homemade stuff that I've been up too over the last week or two, please forgive the nasty pictures because I took them with my phone.

First up these super delish mini tourtiere turnovers. It is a Kraft Canada recipe so it guarantees to be easy....It was a teeny bit time consuming because you have to make and cut the pastry but OH MY, the outcome is SO WORTH THE EFFORT! and if you have a food processor, the pastry will work up really quick and easy. If you are gonna make them....do a double batch because I think the portions are off and I only got 17 or 18 and not the 24 the recipe quotes....AND, they won't last!

My next homemade for the holidays are gifts I made for my mom and sister in law....nightgowns. Not just any old nightgown, these are made out of combed cotton batiste which is a DREAM to sleep in and with my little touches of heirloom stiches not only are they comfortable, but a little special too! Almost decadent in a Downton Abbey sort of way. FYI, I have had the pattern for years which is a long discontinued Kwik Sew.

bodice detail

hem detail

Lastly, today is Christmas Eve and I typically host my side of the family with a traditional turkey dinner. However, plans changed this year which left my day open so I decided to revive an old Christmas Eve tradition from my childhood. I grew up Polish Catholic and eating meat was a no no on Friday, but ESPECIALLY on Good Friday and Christmas Eve. So every year on Christmas eve we would head over to Baba's where she was busy all day making pierogies. All kinds of them! Potato with white cheddar, yellow cheddar or cottage cheese.Veggie ones with sauerkraut and desert ones with prunes or cherries. And then there was the extra dough that she would just roll thin and boil up for my brother and I.

I don't have the stamina that my darling Baba had so I just stuck with two varieties. Potato with yellow cheddar and onion and potato with dry cottage cheese. And I did sort of cheat and made the dough in the kitchen aid stand mixer with the dough hook. This is the fruit of my labour...cheddar cheese on the left, cottage cheese on the right. And in keeping with tradition, all dripping in browned butter.

﻿Finally I want to show you my most fav give that I am giving this year, yet the least expensive. It really doesn't have to be extravagant, and at Christmas I love to share and give some of my favourite things. This year it is a Japanese Salux bath cloth that my BFF Jenny hooked me on to. If you love a loofa, this is loofa feel good times ten! I have very dry itchy skin and bathing myself with this cloth feels euphoric! Ya i'm weird! But I love me a good bath cloth. I paired that up with some handmade soaps that are made by the wife of a guy I work with. These soaps are DIVINE....yes DIVINE! Right now she is just selling them locally but hopefully soon she will have an ETSY store which I will share as soon as it is up. In this gift pack there is also a bath bomb also made by her. Seriously, what girl would NOT love to get this as a gift!

That is it for my homemade holiday edition this year!

I wish you all the best this Christmas season and peace and love in the new year.